Shimla, March 18 (PTI) Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said on Wednesday that the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) will suspend bus services on certain loss-making routes where passenger volume is extremely low.
He made the statement while responding to a question from BJP MLA D S Thakur of Dalhousie during the Question Hour in the House.
Agnihotri, who also holds the transport portfolio, explained that several bus routes have been halted due to road damage caused by natural disasters. Services on these routes will resume once the roads are repaired.
He emphasised that the government operates with complete impartiality, rejecting any claims of discrimination against opposition MLAs’ constituencies. Currently, 203 corporation buses are operating in Chamba district. However, some of these buses are no longer viable due to low passenger numbers and will be excluded from the fleet if they have exceeded 900,000 kilometres or are over 15 years old.
Agnihotri responded to criticism from opposition members regarding the Transport Corporation by noting that it serves approximately 500,000 passengers across the state every day. He also clarified that a direct bus service from Langera and Salooni to Tanda will not be established, as a connecting bus service is already available on that route.
BJP MLAs DS Thakur and Hansraj contended that, as a welfare state, it is the government’s responsibility to provide bus services to the public, even if certain routes are not economically profitable. Hansraj alleged that the Transport Corporation has suspended several routes in Chamba district primarily due to a shortage of buses within its fleet.
Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur stated that the government should prioritise public service over economic considerations when providing bus services. He urged the government to operate buses in the constituencies of opposition MLAs without discrimination, ensuring that residents in these areas are not deprived of bus services.
In reply to another question from BJP MLA Hansraj, Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi said that the state government has not confined the apple belt to a single specific region.
All horticulture-related central and state-sponsored schemes are being implemented uniformly across all districts, he said, adding that the Horticulture Department is promoting apple cultivation equally throughout the state.
Responding to a primary question from Hansraj, the minister informed the House that apple cultivation is currently undertaken on 12,728 hectares of land in Chamba district, yielding an annual production of approximately 4,000 metric tonnes of apples.
He noted that the department possesses over 24 varieties of apple saplings and has distributed more than 300,000 saplings of apples and other stone fruits to growers across the state. He acknowledged that the Horticulture Department is facing a staff shortage and that efforts are underway to address this issue.
Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, in response to a query from Congress MLA Kishori Lal, affirmed the government’s commitment to constructing the Holi-Utrala road, which will connect Chamba with Kangra district.
He stressed that this road is essential for integrating tribal regions into the mainstream and that work on both ends of the 71-kilometre road is being carried out under the NABARD scheme. Certain intermediate sections are funded directly through the government’s budget.
He added that the government is actively working to expedite the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the third phase of this road project. He clarified that the work for the third phase of the road will also be undertaken under the NABARD scheme.
Furthermore, he assured the House that until the necessary approval for the third phase is received from NABARD, the government will continue to advance the construction work on this road using its own budgetary resources. PTI BPL MPL MPL
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